File photo of the Alberta legislature building (Lethbridge News Now)

By Justin Goulet/LethbridgeNewsNOW

More Albertans to get $1,200 Critical Worker Benefit

Jun 23, 2021 | 8:50 AM

EDMONTON – More than 75,000 additional workers in Alberta are set to receive a one-time payment of $1,200.

The joint federal-provincial Critical Worker Benefit program was launched to recognize the hard work of workers amid the pandemic, with $465 million made available.

During the first round of payments, over 277,800 workers in the healthcare, social services, education and private sectors who deliver critical services to Albertans or support food and medical supply chains received compensation. Workers in new job categories will be eligible for the same $1,200 payment.

A release from the province stated that, “this includes workers in social services and the private sector who provided critical services to Albertans, were essential to the supply and movement of goods, and faced greater potential risk of exposure to COVID-19 through their work environments.”

A total of 76,500 Alberta workers are eligible for the payment.

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To be eligible, employees must have worked a minimum of 300 hours during the period of October 12, 2020 to January 31, 2021. Support staff workers in licensed child care must have worked a minimum of 243 hours during that time frame.

Eligible social services sector employers do not need to apply. Employers of support staff working in licensed child care programs, disability support workers providing independent living supports, respite, community access, and employment supports, and front-line workers in seniors-serving organizations and non-profit affordable housing providers will be contacted by the provincial government to confirm details.

Eligible private sector workers making $25 per hour or less will also qualify.

These include: truck drivers, farmworkers, security guards, cleaners, funeral workers, employees at quick service and dine in restaurants and taxi drivers who can demonstrate they worked at least 300 hours during the eligibility period.

The full list of eligible workers for this phase of the program are available in the Application Guidelines for the private sector at alberta.ca/criticalworkerbenefit.

Private sector employers can apply on behalf of employees as of June 22 and employers have until July 23 to apply. Employers will be responsible for distributing the $1,200 benefit to their eligible employees.